Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service to host UKRO Extrication Challenge 2019

An extrication taking place at the 2018 Open Day held at the JTC.

Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service (DFRS) is looking forward to welcoming competitors and visitors from across the UK to the UKRO Extrication Challenge 2019, which takes place from 26-28 September 2019.

On the back of a successful regional event hosted by the service in June 2018, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service agreed to host this year’s UKRO Challenge, not only to work with UKRO to achieve its aim of driving the national agenda on road death reduction and other rescue disciplines, but also as an opportunity to engage with its communities at two specific community road safety events, which will run in conjunction with the UKRO Challenge.

The main event will take place at the service’s joint police and fire training centre (JTC), a stone’s throw from the joint police and fire headquarters in Ripley, Derbyshire.

The event will start on Thursday 26 September with a combination of CPD events, an opening ceremony and a National Fire Chiefs Council Conference in respect of road safety. On the Friday, competition will commence in respect of five separate disciplines, including: vehicle extrication, trauma care, urban search and rescue, rope rescue and water rescue. The water rescue element of the competition will take place off-site at Ogston Reservoir.

Competition will continue throughout Saturday, finishing with a closing ceremony honouring all those taking part, as well as those who will no doubt have worked hard to deliver what is anticipated to be another excellent showcase of extrication excellence.

Derbyshire’s own rescue teams, who have a long and successful history in competing at regional, national and world challenges with exceptional results in the provision of medical care, will be competing at the challenge. Furthermore, alongside the competition on the Friday and Saturday, DFRS will be joining forces with Derbyshire Constabulary and other key partners to deliver two separate community road safety events, targeting young drivers on the Friday and the general public on the Saturday.

As well as our collaborative partners at Derbyshire Constabulary, sponsors are integral to the success of the 2019 Derbyshire UKRO Extrication Challenge. To date we have several sponsors on board; Bosch, Crofton Engineering, Openhouse and Toyota Motor Manufacturing (UK) Ltd (who are donating the cars for the event), however we are open to further sponsors. If you have any contacts that you feel may be interested in being an event sponsor, then please contact Pam Thindal, Service’s Sponsorship and Partnership Officer at PThindal@derbys-fire.gov.uk.

Words: Rachel Palmer, Press and Communications Manager, Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service